Having a running injury can bring down the spirit of a runner. An injury that knocks you down for a significant amount of time can make you feel "off," for weeks. Most competitive runners are addicts, in need of an escape, in need of a high. When facing an injury you are struggling to find a replacement for your high, only I have come to find there is no replacement.
Much of the behavior of struggling with an injury is similar to what a recovering addict struggles to overcome. You are in love with your drug of choice only you can't do it, and you can't do it for a significant amount of time. You start out in the first phase of denial............ it will go away, I'll run it out, it's all in my head, I'm not injured. Then you try to stop for a little while thinking you might just give it a day or two, let it's persistence die down. After a few days you wake up, craving your morning run and longing to get back out on the road. Basically, you fall off the wagon. You ignore the signs. You lace up, get moving, and your injury robs your mental state of readiness and throws you a fat reality check. You will be out of commission for a while.
Just like an addict you loose contact with your old friends, because they are all still addicts. They are planning there next races and improving their times. You separate yourself because with each mention of the "next race," your yearning grows steadfast and you begin to think again "Maybe it is all in my head," then you remember the sharp pain you felt ten minutes out into your last run.
Just like a smoker turns to nicorette, you try and find a replacement for your addiction such as swimming or riding a bike. Just like a smoker chews massive amounts of gum only to realize the buzz is weak, cycling and swimming for me just don't make the cut. I am lost, I can't find my rhythm. These actives were great on my "off days," sometimes they even helped to loosen up my legs. When doing these activities I never quiet reach that euphoric state, somehow I remain just bellow the threshold of bliss, a steady pace, going nowhere.
Treating a running injury is different from a regular addict in one way. Usually a regular addict, such as a alcoholic wants to quit their drug of choice forever. They realize in order to quit, they must quit hole hearted and completely. With a running injury you must quit, and for a significant amount of time so you can become an addict again. Your mental drive remains the same, with no desire to subdue. You realize you must submit to your injury, listen to your body, turn off your drive and know in order to start again you must quit.
I don't have all the answers on how to retain perseverance. Right now I am struggling to feel right, not running. I know with time I will heal and once again feed my hunger to stride across another finish line. In my heart I can only believe this to be true.
